Published: Friday, March 28, 2014 at 2:32 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 28, 2014 at 2:32 p.m.

Construction on the Wrightsville Beach drawbridge is largely completed, though minor maintenance issues and repairs are likely to continue.

"It's mostly done. They've taken the equipment out, there are no cones in sight. All the lanes are open," said Tim Owens, Wrightsville Beach town manager. "They're done, but they still have some punch-list items."

The large-scale construction project, which included replacement of the steel grid floor of the bridge, began in February 2012. As originally planned, work was expected to wrap up at the end of March 2013. But following the addition of extra projects, including deck painting and rehabilitation, that date was bumped back to March 31, 2014. That extra work tacked on $2.2 million to the project's original price tag of $5.6 million, all funded with state dollars.

The majority of that work is completed now, according to Owens, but the state Department of Transportation could still close lanes from time to time while outstanding issues are addressed.

"They have another part underneath the bridge that they've got to fix," he said. "They also have to do resurfacing on either side, which is going to be night work down the line. Basically, the lanes are all open, but they're not going to commit to never having to close one down again."

<p>Construction on the Wrightsville Beach drawbridge is largely completed, though minor maintenance issues and repairs are likely to continue.</p><p>"It's mostly done. They've taken the equipment out, there are no cones in sight. All the lanes are open," said Tim Owens, Wrightsville Beach town manager. "They're done, but they still have some punch-list items."</p><p>The large-scale construction project, which included replacement of the steel grid floor of the bridge, began in February 2012. As originally planned, work was expected to wrap up at the end of March 2013. But following the addition of extra projects, including deck painting and rehabilitation, that date was bumped back to March 31, 2014. That extra work tacked on $2.2 million to the project's original price tag of $5.6 million, all funded with state dollars. </p><p>The majority of that work is completed now, according to Owens, but the state Department of Transportation could still close lanes from time to time while outstanding issues are addressed.</p><p>"They have another part underneath the bridge that they've got to fix," he said. "They also have to do resurfacing on either side, which is going to be night work down the line. Basically, the lanes are all open, but they're not going to commit to never having to close one down again."</p><p>Kate Elizabeth Queram: 343-2217</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @kate_goes_bleu</p>